Truth or Dare
by Jessmeg1213
Summary: Emma Paxton has finally gotten used to playing the part of her dead twin sister, Sutton. She calls her parents Mom & Dad, hangs out with her friends, sleeps in her bedroom, goes to her school. But Sutton's killer is still out there; and what will happen when the one person Emma thought she could trust with her life turns out to be the person who will take it away? Rated T in case.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: We don't own anything of the Lying Game, but Sara Shepard is more than welcome to use our ideas. **

**A/N: This is two cousins writing together; we both have separate accounts (Nutmorgan123 and Jesoraptor) but we've been writing stories together for as long as either of us can remember, so we though we'd put that to use. Both us are avid fans and readers of this series, and had a two-hour phone conversation about who we thought the killer was; we thought it would make an interesting story plot, so here we are. This is rated T just in case, and takes place right after the end of book 3, so there are spoilers. Anyway, enough of the long author's note; enjoy the story! We'd really appreciate reviews! Oh, by the way, this story is told from Emma's POV.**

**Chapter 1: If Looks Could Kill… **

Laurel's glare was like a death ray, her eyes boring directly into mine and making my blood turn to ice. I could've sworn that in that particular moment, Laurel knew exactly who I was. My heartbeat accelerated and I suddenly realized what a deer caught in headlights must feel like; it took every ounce of effort and strength I had to conceal my immense fear and keep my composure. I couldn't let her see just how terrified I truly was; if I did, I'd become instant prey and I couldn't let that happen. I couldn't let Laurel win.

So I stared back, summoning all of the hatred I felt towards my sister's killer into my gaze. I fixed my mouth into a ruler-straight line, narrowed my eyes into tiny slits, and curved my eyebrows downward; I was intent on not being the first one to look away, and by some miracle, I succeeded. After a couple of minutes, Laurel spun away from the window, yanking the curtains shut behind her. It was only then that I let my guard down and allowed myself to relax. Thayer had disappeared inside a while ago, so other than me, the front porch, yard, and driveway were completely desolate.

I suck in a shaky breath and try to get my bearings; could Laurel really have killed Sutton? There is certainly motive; Laurel's jealousy over Sutton's secret relationship with Thayer was obvious. But was the envy strong enough to drive Laurel to kill her own sister? I'm not quite sure yet; but I intend to find out.

Right as I stand up to go inside, Sutton's iPhone beeps from the depths of my jacket pocket; ONE NEW TEXT, the screen read. It was from Ethan; I can't keep the smile off of my face. If there was anyone capable of bringing some light into my otherwise dark world, it was Ethan. R U OK? Ethan's text read; I haven't the slightest idea how to go about answering this question. My life is so mixed up on so many levels, and while I'd finally begun to grow accustomed to my sister's glamorous, inside life, I am far from okay. And I probably won't be okay until Sutton's killer is officially behind bars.

My life was forever changed and I knew it; my life changed the second I sent Sutton that message. Gaining knowledge of my long-lost twin unavoidably and irreparably altered everything I knew, had ever known, and now there was no going back.

Heaving a deep sigh, I allow my fingers to fly over the phone's keypad, typing out the words I know have to be said. I DON'T KNOW-I MAY BE LIVING WITH A KILLER. Ethan's response came almost instantly. DO YOU REALLY THINK LAUREL KILLED SUTTON?

Again, I hesitated; did I think that? To be perfectly honest, I wasn't sure what I thought. MAYBE, I write. YOU SHOULD'VE SEEN THE WAY SHE WAS LOOKING AT ME A COUPLE MINUTES AGO; IF LOOKS COULD KILL…

This time, Ethan's doesn't come as quickly. Not wanting to just sit there doing nothing, I get up and wander aimlessly inside; the house's interior is deathly quiet, with the only sounds being the chirping of crickets and the tinkling of a neighbor's wind chimes coming in through the open kitchen window. The scent of pineapple, my least favorite fruit, permeates the air and there's an apple pie on the cooling rack next to the oven, which is hanging open slightly. I walk over to the fridge and inspect the photos held up by animal-shaped magnets; most of them are typical family snapshots-the Mercers riding donkeys at the Grand Canyon, in front of Sleeping Beauty's castle at Disney Land, dressed in snowsuits and goggles at a Colorado ski lodge. Smiling, happy, and blissfully unaware.

But a certain picture catches my eye-it's in the top right corner, held in place by a hand-painted, rooster-shaped magnet and partially obscured by a photo of Sutton and Laurel in matching pink bikinis and sunglasses, stretched out on towels at a beach somewhere.

I pinch the corner of the mystery photo between my thumb and forefinger and slowly tug it free; as I stare down at the glossy image in my hands, my eyes widen and my jaw drops, a gasp escaping past my lips. It's dated August 30, the day before Sutton's death, and shows Sutton standing in front of the mall's main entrance. She has a big, goofy smile pasted on her face and her left hand placed lazily on her hip; with her right hand, she makes the universal, two-finger peace sign. However, someone has drawn a large red "X" over her face, blocking out most of her features, and given her a devil's tail and horns; to top it all off, there's a long, jagged arrow drawn in the same red marker pointing from Sutton's head to the edge of the picture.

With shaking hands, I flip the photo over and stifle the scream that quickly rises up the back of my throat. It dies on the tip of my tongue, but I can't help but let out a small whimper. In bold, uppercase letters somebody has scrawled the chilling words, "How could I kill you? Let me count the ways…".

**A/N: Oooh, a cliffhanger! Sorry for the short chapter; this was like a prologue of sorts-the next one will be much longer. Please, please, please review! If we get 5 reviews, we'll update within the next week. 10 reviews, we'll update in within four days. 15+ reviews and we'll update within the next 2 days! So click that review button!**


	2. The beginning of something special

**Disclaimer: Same as always. **

**A/N: We are discouraged! We got no reviews on the first chapter! Review or we are officially discontinuing this story! Enjoy AND REVIEW chapter two. Btw, this chapter will be told from Sutton's POV.**

**Chapter 2: Currently Untitled **

"Oh. My. God."

"What's wrong _sissss_?" Laurel sneered from the kitchen doorway. Emma jumped and whirled around, quickly hiding the unsettling photo behind her back. The way Laurel warped the word "sis" sent a shiver down Emma's spine.

"Oh, it's _you,_" Emma snarled, snapping into insta-Sutton mode. "I'm _fine_ Laurel. Why do you even care? You know, I feel like you've had quite a sudden interest in my life. Isn't that true? You know it is. Just admit it. You're _jealous _of me."

Wow, Emma was getting really good at being me. Still, Laurel barely flinched at Emma's harsh remark.

"Whatever," she said breezily. Sauntering over to the island, she grabbed a chunk of pineapple from the ceramic rooster-shaped dish and popped it into her mouth. "So, whatcha got there? You know, the thing behind your back?"

She surveyed Emma carefully, a challenging look in her eye, as if daring her to tell a lie. Emma thought fast, cautiously putting the picture in the back pocket of her thrift store version of Calvin Klein booty shorts. She did it leisurely and calmly so as not to draw attention to herself.

"Nothing. Why would you think I'm hiding something? Geez, you _have been _acting very pesky lately. I knew I wasn't imagining anything." Laurel rolled her eyes as Emma smirked and did a 360 degree turn, indicating that she wasn't hiding anything.

"Nice shorts," declared Laurel. "By the way Miss  
Hot Shot, they make your butt look big." Emma growled as Laurel walked out of the kitchen, taking more pineapple with her.

Ok, murdering me is one thing, but making fun of my butt! That crosses the line. I mean, I guess it's not really _my butt,_ but Emma's, it's as good as my own.

Emma stormed out of the kitchen and upstairs to her bedroom. She flopped onto her bed and glanced at all of the homework she had. She groaned and rolled onto the floor. There was a faint thud. "Just like the sound Sutton's body made when it hit the ground." Emma concluded.

I wondered if it was possible, if I made that same type of noise when I was murdered. There were good things and bad things to being dead. One of the greatest things, I didn't have to do anymore homework that poor Emma had to do. The bad things were, I never get to see my friends, (and interact with them.) or my now ex-boyfriend Garret. Thanks to Emma I finally realized how much of a jerk he was. I wish I still had the free spirit to cry into my mothers arms when I was sad. A chill washed over me, (if that was possible) when I realized I could never have any of the things I loved most back.

Emma crawled over to her desk and pulled herself up into the chair. She was sorting assignments when she heard Sutton's iPhone beep. Indicating she had a new text message or voice mail. She pulled the phone out of her new hot pink suede bag, and read the screen. It said "One new message: Ethan Landry"; Emma's heart skipped a beat. She was currently dating Ethan. She thought it was a bad idea until a certain incident occurred in the Mercer's neighbor's pool. She tapped the screen and she read the message.

Ethan: Hey Em. What r u doing 2night?

Emma: Oh nothing really. Hey, can u meet me at the tennis courts around, say, 9 or 10? I would appreciate it! ;)

Ethan: Ok. Same spot?

Emma: Same spot!

Ethan: Love u

Emma: 3 u 2!

Emma put down the phone but then picked it up again. She was about to text Ethan back until she realized it was no use. She had been shy to use the L word with him so she always sent a heart when he told her he loved her. She was going to tell him tonight, when they were holding hands on the tennis courts, looking up at the stars. Emma shook her head to stop her daydream. She was getting waaaay overly sappy when she was supposed to be solving a murder. She snapped back into focus and pulled out a pencil…

"SUTTON! COME DOWN STAIRS! DINNER IS READY!" Emma jerked her head and found a miniature puddle in her lap. She must have fallen asleep while she was attempting to solve a tremendously complex algebra equation. She stood up and stretched. On her way down stairs she muffled a yawn so Mrs. Mercer didn't find out she was asleep. She sat down and scooped a spoonful of mashed potatoes onto her plate, then reached across the table for the salt and pepper, but everyone gave her an uncertain stare. She forgot that dinner etiquette was not only polite, but was also expected in the Mercer household.

"Sorry. Algebra really gets me off my game. I've been working on it all afternoon." Emma gave a weary smile.

"It's a good thing that you were _sooo_ busy studying. I mean, you wouldn't want to fail the major exam tomorrow. Would you Sutton? You were so busy studying that you didn't notice me take your iPhone!" Laurel smirked and batted her eyes.

"What?" Emma sounded alarmed at first, but then she realized Laurel was lying. "Puh-_lease_! I think I would realize if you took my phone. Besides, it's right here in my po-," Emma reached her hand in her pocket expecting to feel the jelly bumpy texture of her case. Instead, she only felt jean fabric and the cool metal of a penny. "Where is it? I swear I had it in my pocket!"

"Maybe you just left it upstairs sweetie. It's probably sitting on your desk." Mrs. Mercer always tried to sugarcoat things, even if she knew the truth.

"No, her phone is right here Mom." Laurel pulled Sutton's phone out of her pocket and waved it above her head. She had a very smug look on her face. Mrs. Mercer choked on a piece of turkey when she saw this.

"Laurel! Why on Earth did you take Sutton's phone?"

"Well. For one thing, she wasn't really studying. She was asleep in her chair when I went up to tell her dinner was almost ready. So, I thought I would toy with her a little. Make her take the blame instead of me for once." Laurel sat back in her chair and crossed her arms. She had a triumphant look on her face, as if telling what she did would win her the Nobel Peace Prize.

"Sutton Mercer, you were asleep instead of studying?" Mr. Mercer could be a very stern man when he wanted to.

"I'm sorry Dad! It was a really hard equation and I had a long day at school. I was tired from tennis and being nagged by Nisha Banerjee. I promise it will never happen again! I know there will be consequences but can you please not ground me tonight? I'm going to meet Ethan and get some ice-cream to celebrate our anniversary!"

"Is all of your other homework done, besides the math problems?"

"Yes Daddy."

"Ok. You may go with Ethan for tonight."

"Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!" Emma leaped up from the table and gave Mr. Mercer a huge hug.

"WHAT! THAT'S NOT FAIR! I never get to do anything!" Laurel stood up and stormed upstairs, dragging Drake with her. She slammed her door and Emma heard a muffled scream.

"Ok, well I'm going to be late if I wait any longer. Love you Mom! Love you Dad!" Emma shut the front door behind her and bounded down the porch steps. She jumped into Sutton's car and dialed Ethan's number.

"Hey Em, is everything ok?"

"Yeah, everything is fine. I just wanted to tell you to meet me at the courts right now. If I waited any longer, my "parents" might not have let me come."

"Why?"

"Long story, I'll tell you when you get there."

"Ok, I'm on my way. Bye"

"Bye." She hung up the phone and pulled out of the Mercer's driveway.

As soon as Emma parked the car and drifted to the tennis court, I knew that something was different. I might have seen Ethan on the court already, lying there on the ground, but something seemed, odd. I wished there was some way for me to communicate with Emma, but I knew it was impossible. Before I could make a conclusion, I was whisked away into another memory. Hopefully this one brought answers…


	3. Somethings off

**Disclaimer: Same as always. **

**A/N: Review, review, REVIEW! Thank you to those who do. **

**Chapter 3: Something's Off **

_ "Sutton? Sutton, are you alright?" The boy's voice sounds distorted and faraway, almost as if we're underwater; nothing makes sense. I shake my head, trying desperately to clear the fog from my brain, and struggle to pull my body, which feels like lead, into a sitting position. _

_ "W-where am I?" I sputter; my voice comes out hoarse and soft, and when I try to clear my throat, it sends me into a rasping coughing fit._

_ "It's okay. I'm here for you Sutton." The stranger whispers into my ear and helps me sit up. He strokes my hair and soothes me with comforting words while I gasp for air and try to gain control of my lungs._

_ "Who are y-y-you?" I choke out. My voice doesn't sound any better than before, but at least I can speak without momentarily suffocating myself. _

_ "You can't see can you."_

_ "No," I say. "My vision is blurred and it doesn't help that it's almost midnight. Your voice though, it sounds familiar from somewhere; d-do I know you?" _

"_We've met. But you probably don't remember me too well. I couldn't properly introduce myself." He has a tone of disgust in his voice, as if what happened when we "met" wasn't a very good thing. _

_"Wait. I do know you! You're, you're-," The boy covered my mouth with his hand so I wasn't able to say anything else. I could see a bit better and was able to see his eyes were brown. This was who I thought. What was he doing here? Why was he doing this to me? He leaned forward and stroked my hair, AGAIN. Wow. This mister could get a little over addictive. He leaned in and pecked me on the forehead. My eyes widened and a muffled scream came from behind his hand. He KISSED ME! HE ACTUALLY KISSED ME! It was only a peck, but then he kissed me harder. He kissed my cheek like my dad used to when I was sad. Then he moved away his hand…"AHH! GET AWAY FROM ME!" I jumped up from the chair and kicked him in the gut. There was a stiffened cry as I flew up from the ground I began to run. I tripped on a branch and lost my balance, after all, I was still woozy after what had happened._

_ "SUTTON!"_

_ I stood up and walked over to the strange boy. _

_ "How could you? Why would you do that to me? YOU KISSED ME! I don't even _like_ you! I am so disgusted right now. I can't believe you kissed me."_

_ "It's not what you think. I was trying to help you! I thought you were dead! I was trying to comfort you."_

_ "Dead? Why would you think I was dead? Someone kidnapped me and brought me here to gag me and all you did is kissed me?"_

_ "But Sutton. Listen to me. It was your friends! They brought you here and were trying to hurt you! They are the ones that gagged you!"_

_ Friends? What was he talking about? Oh. Ha, ha, ha. Laurel, Charlotte, and Madeline, they are the ones that brought me here. This was all just a prank! A lying game prank for thrills! What clever little bitches. I let out a shrill laugh._

_ "HA!"_

_ "You really think this is funny? Your friends just tried to kill you!"_

_ "My friends wouldn't try to kill me. Its part of a top secret game we play. It's just for the thrills and something to laugh about."_

_ "But I saved your life!"_

_ "No, you ruined the game. You found us and now you're going to try to get us all into trouble. Why did you even show up? You just diminished everything! My friends are going to hate me know. If they were hiding in the trees then they might have gotten the impression that I was _with _you! That would be the most horrible thing that ever happened to me!" A hurt look played across his face. Good. My plan was working._

_ "B-but,"_

_ "No buts from you. If you so much as mention the time to anyone, I will make sure that no one will ever speak to you again. Am I clear?"_

_ "Sure."_

_ It was fun toying with Ethan. We got him once in a Lying Game prank. I would be excited to do it again. As I turned to leave the woods, I saw Ethan mouth something to me_. Before I could tell what it was, I was brought back to reality with a sudden sense of urgency to catch my killer, and I felt even shallower than before. I had to warn Emma, but how?


End file.
